ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the theme of the book by asking the question: Do constitutions matter? The author believes there is a lack of clarity in the idea that constitutions are a terrain for struggle, yet stops short of rejecting this conviction, instead choosing to focus on lawyers outside elitist circles who are driven by a passion for social justice and the struggle for the rights, dignity and livelihoods of those who work. Shivji recognises the limits of bourgeois law and constitutions, while also recognising the possibilities and identifying the conditions by which radical lawyers can be involved in the struggle for the recognition of rights, thus keeping a passion for social justice and social transformation alive.
